Jumping on a Worm
by Baran3
Summary: In the CYOA Revised Version 3, you can take a greater power that is essentially a new character created in another RPG (Exalted, Scion, and Aberrant are just examples). In the Jumpchain, you can go to the Worm setting. Why not combine the two? Self-insert story.
1. Prologue

**JUMPING ON A WORM**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: In the CYOA Revised Version 3, you can take a greater power that is essentially a new character created in another RPG (Exalted, Scion, and Aberrant are just examples). In the Jumpchain, you can go to the Worm setting.

Why not combine the two?

* * *

 **Prologue**

Two beings spiral through the starry void. As they approach their chosen world, they shatter, and countless shards seed that world and its alternates, taking root in the minds of the desperate and the broken, giving them power beyond mere humanity, at the cost of constant conflict.

The beings have done it countless times and the cycle is older than our species. But all things must end. Something goes wrong, a dark stranger, another entity, intervenes, and one being falls. Its mate remains, much reduced and bereft of all purpose.

This last, broken cycle grinds pointlessly on, driving a thousand Earths to destruction. And that where I come in, dropped into the eye of the storm: Earth Bet, sometime before Taylor Hebert's trigger. I have been given the strength to alter the path of Destiny. But, can I survive in a world driven mad by alien powers? Can I avert the coming apocalypse?

* * *

I looked into the mirror, willing myself to wake the fuck up!

Didn't work…

I sighed as I massaged my eyes and once again looked at the person in the mirror: an adorable, petite and cute late bloomer teenager clad in a strapless top and denim skirt. Shoulder-length brown hair enhanced by sky-blue pins and blue eyes.

Madison Clements… The fifteen years old member of the infamous Trio of Winslow, PHO handle of "FlippinMad" and one of the tormentors or bullies of one Taylor Hebert aka Skitter aka Khepri aka Queen of Escalation…

Right… I knew I was going into a monstrous clusterfuck but really..? Making me one of the Trio..? And with the memories complete with emotional overlay no less. My stomach agreed (or didn't) with me and I went to worship the porcelain god.

Why? Because any decent being suddenly understanding and having lived the stupidity of Madison Clements to be "IN" the group, regardless of what she did would upset even a strong stomach.

The only saving grace..? There was none… Madison… no... I WAS guilty… I DID those horrible things for more than a year to a girl who did nothing to me…

Only one silver lining was the date. It was still the Christmas period just before January 2011 when Taylor Hebert triggered… Oh hell… Do I left a girl trigger and potentially save the world or do I intervene and take her place..?

I blinked. Why was I even hesitating? OF COURSE, I'll help her! If I sacrificed ONE person like that and not myself..? Well, better let the world burn than being such a monster.

A monster… I wondered if I wasn't a monster under this flesh and blood. Did I kill the real Madison? I didn't know… She was perhaps a part of me just I was a part of her now, but who could know except the Powers responsible of my presence on Earth Bet… And speaking of powers…

I flexed my hand, gauging the strength in my body… My female body… Good thing I was with all of Madison memories or I would have freaked… a lot. Still, that was one point towards the theory of assimilation rather than replacement… Which meant that I wasn't the person before those shenanigans, I was truly Madison Clements… God have mercy on me… us...

A simple try to lift the bed showed that I was as strong as advertised. I couldn't yet try my other powers as I wanted first to have a handle on my situation and probably start a few projects.

Alright, what to do first… Of course, my parents and the situation at Winslow… Could I act at school..? Yes, but not without offering too many ammo to some people and being too visible… I first needed to cover my bases with my parents and the "normal" law enforcement agency.

Did I have what is required to really make a difference..? Yes… I had ALL the emails saved from the Trio's campaign of terror on Taylor and my own testimony. I frowned as I didn't have Madison memory on the preparations for the locker incident... Will they discuss it when the school begins again..?

I could probably stop the bullying without exposing myself, but the burn of my lingering stomach acids in my mouth reminded me that I should really do what was right and not what was easy… I was no Dumbledore.

Of course, the PRT will intervene no matter what I'll do, but I was prepared to cooperate with them and the Law. What were my goals? Stop the bullying. Make Taylor leave Winslow at any cost. Had psychiatric help for both Emma and Sophia. Prevent a PR nightmare for the PRT and Wards… Yeah, a trifle… I was regretting not choosing the mind-fucking powers of an Exalt or a Scion.

I finished to prepare myself, left my bedroom (Will have to change some things later, too girly.) and met my parents in the kitchen for breakfast.

I looked like just my mother: The same hair color, the same build and many of her face's features were on mine. From Dad, I inherited only the eyes' color… and perhaps some mannerisms. Mom was the first to note that something was wrong.

"Madison, dear? Is there something wrong?"

I sighed as I sat and looked at the surface of the table. It wasn't the time to plan something but to let my heart speaking.

I gazed back and I could see the worry in their eyes as tears made my eyes shone. "Mom? Dad? I did something horrible and I need your help to make things right."


	2. Chap 1: The Circus

**JUMPING ON A WORM**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Circus.**

I let my forehead rested on the cool surface of the metallic table in the interrogation room of the PRT building. My stomach was protesting the absence of food and water and my bladder was almost full. My clothes were crumpled and I wanted to sell my soul for a hot shower.

Almost 24 hours since I kicked the wasp nest and it was far from being finished. I was alone with the cameras and microphones hidden in the room (better hidden than behind a giant mirror on the wall at least), waiting for the official PRT agent and my lawyer. I really hoped my parents were… I sighed. No, they weren't good, but I hoped they were relieved and proud of me.

You know, many fix-it stories just showed the hero with the support of everyone having a heart-to-heart discussion with the antagonist, showing solid proofs with many videos or simply saying one little sentence near a big wig and watched the carefully constructed lies of the opposition crumbled like a card house…

Yeah, right…

Oh, it began easily… My mother just looked at me in horror and my father slapped me before hugging me and asking for my forgiveness since he hit me in anger. I didn't make things better for them by saying that I merited such a slap.

They agreed that the situation was serious, especially since they knew the reputation of Alan Barnes. I reminded them that he was good as a "divorce" lawyer and not as a juvenile lawyer which prompted a discussion of my options and some consultations on the internet.

They asked me why I had such a turnabout and were perplexed by my explanation about a nightmare. I had, then, to explain that I triggered as a parahuman during the night after an intense dream about a sort of "what-if" scenario (couldn't really say anything about Worm and the fictions, but the message was understood that it was terrible for all).

After a little demonstration, they agreed it warranted to go to the police first before contacting the PRT. Guilt gnawed at me as I understood they were thinking that Emma and Sophia were indirectly responsible for my trigger… It was right and wrong but I couldn't really say anything about it…

Speaking to the police had been also easy. I just entered with my parents the nearby station and asked for someone to take my confession about a crime I committed.

They were perplexed at first. It was something that the school staff should have taken care of. The mention of Winslow and its gangs, that one of the bullies was the daughter of a powerful lawyer, that another bully was the current and only track-star of the school and that "we" ensured that the staff closed their eyes on our depredations made the police more interested and they searched the public server of the school for proof.

Principle Blackwell, despite her flaws, was still a competent administrative if not a competent educator. She had most of the incidents I reported on files, but it wasn't presented as bullying of course. A simple reading of what she wrote, knowing about what I and the Trio did, showed a different picture. After presenting my own proofs, I asked the police to give me a lawyer since my parents didn't know anyone in this profession except Alan Barnes.

The circus then began with interrogations and counter-interrogation. No, it wasn't a joke. Yes, I was guilty. No, I wasn't forced either by my parents or by the other members of the Trio. Yes, I believed they were traumatized girls because it wasn't normal behavior. No, I didn't want a deal, I was guilty. No, it wasn't only for myself but for the victim who was still being bullied.

Why didn't the bullied speak herself? Because she still considered Emma her best friend and wanted to know why she was doing this. My role? The cute one who smiled to teachers while putting glue on Taylor's seat and spitting paper-balls in her hair or the one who stole her homework and gave it to the teachers as mine.

The lawyer in service during my odyssey was a reasonable one. Jimmy Anderson was his name and I almost smiled thinking about some famous quotes from "Matrix". He promptly understood I wasn't here to escape what I did so he pointed at me that I was in for at least some community service and a permanent note in my school file. It was the only time I looked at my parents (oh god, why do they had tears in their eyes then) and they nodded at me.

It was then as the case file was finalized hours later that the PRT entered the fray. A few keywords such as "Sophia Hess" in the police's servers probably raised a few flags in the PRT mainframe and alerted whoever was in charge that a problem was developing.

Fortunately, the PRT agent who entered the police station wasn't the one in charge of Sophia Hess. She was PRT sergeant Fokker, a solid woman with a no-nonsense view and I felt she had some personal encounters with the abrasive side of one Shadow Stalker. She promptly DIDN'T stop the investigation, she simply stated that due to the gangs' presence in Winslow, the PRT will help the police in this particular case.

One policeman asked if a Ward was at Winslow and the "no comment" answer made them nodded. She looked at everything they uncovered and asked me a few questions, mostly a repeat of why I was doing this. She then talked to my parents, asking the permission to have me, my lawyer and them at the PRT building for more questions but related to the PRT side. My father had a bittersweet smile as he looked at me while giving his approbation.

A standard and unmarked van took us to the PRT building and I was impressed by the passive and active security measures: armed PRT agents, some I swear were even disguised as visitors, cameras both hidden and visible, electronic portals which scanned everything passing and whatnot. I could almost guess where the seams in the walls, floor, and ceiling could open to reveal defensive turrets armed to the teeth.

After signing an NDA document (that I read entirely and asked my lawyer if I should sign), the circus continued for an "encore".

The PRT presented each piece of proof I revealed and asked again the same questions as the police. After a few instants, another agent would enter the interrogation room and would ask the same questions but in a different order and with different words.

Despite their efforts, I could see that they were focused on what I thought and knew about Sophia Hess and why I was sure she was a traumatized girl lashing out at the world to prevent being hurt again. Many times, the lawyer reminded the agents that I was a cooperating minor and that only the police could deal with me since it wasn't really their jurisdiction. I hid a cringe at that.

Finally, the remake of the ordeal of Sisyphus ended and my lawyer and my parents were taken to the office of Director Piggot for some finalizing while my forehead was making friend with the surface of the table. A good thing I was soon promised some water and donuts and a visit to the toilets.

And the other shoe fell. The very same Director Piggot that was supposed to be talking with my parents entered the interrogation room and with folders, not food.

My eyes widened as Emily Piggot was someone to meet to really understand her character in Worm. I couldn't see in her assured walk the problems she had with her legs and while she was over-weighted, it didn't reduce the sheer impact of her charisma. This was a woman that people would follow into hell if need be and if she could retake the field… This was not a person to cross…

She sat in silence and began to read her folders without so much a blink in my direction. Wow… I was impressed, I knew it was a tactic to have the upper hand on me but still, the real Madison Clements … No… Never think like that… The "ME" of my past would have cracked thirty seconds after her entry.

I blinked several times but remained silent and focused on her. A good thing, she had a name-tag so I wouldn't be too suspicious by recognizing her. The folders she was opening and consulting seemed to be genuine about me according to the photos and some text fragments I managed to decipher.

After a few minutes, I perceived a very faint electronic noise coming from her left ear and she finally looked at me. I gulped at the intensity of her gaze. Medusa can go home.

"Madison Clements. Do you know why I am here and not with your parents?"

Wow… What a voice… Commanding, assured and… respectful..?

"I asked myself that when you entered, Director Piggot." I shook my head. "The very fact that I was required to sign an NDA in the PRT building was… a little suspect..."

"Oh..?"

"Even if a Ward is at Winslow, the PRT shouldn't have acted so… directly. A reasonable hypothesis is that same Ward is… more or less implied in my case..."

"Continue."

I breathed in. God, I could swear her presence just increased. "I first thought that it was because of me since… I am a parahuman."

"Are you?" Oh, gods, intensity raising and something rather sharp entered her tone. I felt like I was before twin particle beams and I was sure that the faint electronic whine coming from around was the security system priming the defensive turrets.

"The intensive nightmare I spoke of in my deposition was my trigger event. My parents and I decided to contact your agency after the resolve of the police case. I don't know who your Ward is, but it can only be either Emma Barnes, Sophia Hess or Taylor Hebert as no other people are as implied as me and them."

"So you plainly recognize your bullying."

I bit my lower lip but maintained my eyes locked with hers. "I'm a monster, Director. I tortured a girl for more than a year for absolutely nothing but wanting to be in a clique. Emma Barnes and Sophia Hess are two deeply deranged girls with an unresolved trauma. Taylor Hebert must be withdrawn from Winslow or she'll break from what we did."

Her Medusa-like gaze remained locked on me and I hoped I didn't blink too much before she returned to her folders.

"What do you wish of our agency?"

I took a deep breath and hoped I won't sound like I was in a "Perry Mason" episode. "Since you are recording this conversation, I acknowledge that I'm a Parahuman under your jurisdiction. With the accord of my parents, I am formally waiving away my rights and placing myself at your mercy. My only wish is that you do everything in your power to help those three girls. Emma and Sophia need desperately some psychological help and Taylor must be out of the toxic environment of Winslow." I bowed my head to her. "Please..."

"You understand that under the hypothesis of a Ward among them, I cannot do something for two of them."

"Yes, but you have the power to hinder or help their cases… Please, I'm begging you..."

I risked looking at her but wasn't sure of what I was reading in her eyes. Weariness? Disgust? A little fear? Some respect? Wondering about what I was doing?

"We will see. An agent will escort you to sanitary facilities and then the cafeteria. I'll discuss future arrangements with your parents and lawyer, but you will remain in this building until we can test if you are truly a Parahuman and only then a decision will be taken. Your cooperation is mandatory if you want your case promptly and fairly solved. Do not attempt to use your power unless ordered and for your safety what is your power?"

"I used it only once to prove that to my parents. According to what I felt then and my instincts, I'm a changer."


	3. chap 2: You'll be assimilated

**JUMPING ON A WORM**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: You'll be assimilated…**

"Alright, Changer. We're ready. You can begin when you want."

I nodded at the technicians and scientists behind the transparent window of the surveillance cabin. I was surprised when I learned that it was made of actual transparent metal (tinkertech, of course) and not a form of reinforced armored plastic or glass.

It was now two full days since I was "detained" in the PRT building after my confession about the bullying at Winslow.

And I didn't have a clue so far as what was going on outside (no internet, TV or phone). Of course, I did ask about Taylor, Emma, and Sophia but no one wanted to answer me. On orders from Director Piggot, of course. Even my lawyer was staying silent on that, remembering me that it could be interpreted as a breach of the NDA I signed.

I really hoped I didn't make Taylor life more horrible…

I was clad in a PRT-issued female tracksuit with a generic mask. I temporary called myself "Changer" to make a joke about "Fate/Stay Night" but none of the jokers I knew were here (Assault and Clockblocker). The day had begun with a complete medical exam (not including the MRI that proved I was a Parahuman) and a standard fitness trial to measure my baseline. And now we were in one of the testing rooms of the facility.

I walk towards a table where various samples of matter were displayed and labeled and took a little cube (dice-sized) made of iron. I put it in my palm and focus on it. It was slowly absorbed into my hand. "That's funny. I can feel something as if I was eating it. It tastes like… sugar..?"

The voice of a scientist, one professor Meriam sounded from the control cabin. "Probably how your power is interpreting the iron. We'll test with steel and other iron alloys to see if there is a correlation. So far, one full minute, well really 59,7 seconds to assimilate the sample. The same as your first try, Changer?"

"Yes, the plastic goblet I "assimilate" to prove to my parents I had a power… And it did taste like something bitter."

"Alright. No funny feelings? No pain or excessive tingling?"

"Nothing… Except I'm pretty sure I could now draw or write the exact atomic formula of iron… and the exact dimensions of the cube..? Okay, I'm going to try something with that metal."

Under a firm mental order, my whole body simply changed colors as I shifted into… Iron. I blinked as all my senses were still functioning and I could move without effort. In effect, I became a living statue of iron, like an Iron Golem from D&D.

"Interesting, your density is now the same as iron and your mass followed. You're weighing 482 kg instead of 50. Try to punch the pressure plate now."

Almost half a ton? Well, here goes my diet (why the hell am I thinking about dieting). I went to a padded plate fixed on a big column and punched it like I did when they measured my human baseline.

"Yep, it scales with the copied material. The impact is 9,6 times your normal punch. What can you do while staying with the same sample?"

I shifted back into my flesh body and considered. I didn't feel any limitations in how I could use iron. I smiled and began to change my body pieces by pieces. Just my hair which enabled me to create instant iron needles, the bones inside me or just an arm that I shaped at will into diverse forms like a sword or any kind of melee implements or even tools.

I giggled (and felt mortified) as I realized that I had effectively no limit on how to change myself while using a non-living material. The most fantastic thing was that I was unlimited in the mass created by my Changer power: I put my hand on the table and will the same exact cube of iron that I absorbed. My mass remained the same even after putting ten differently shaped samples of iron. The scientists were happy to have samples of me to examine.

It seemed that I was potentially invincible (careful there, didn't want to summon Murphy) if I changed my whole body as I could regain instantly any mass I shed or rearranged my form as I wished (so no weak points as effectively I didn't have any organs). Of course, I could still be disintegrated or transmuted by some Parahuman powers, but I wasn't feeling the urge to try those conditions even in a lab.

We tested that I could assimilate all the samples they had (the most spectaculars were with mercury, water, and gold) except for anything that was living (Manton limitation) which was reassuring as I couldn't absorb a human being. But I could "eat" anything coming from a living organism IF it was non-living and that included wood and other organic materials. That gave me an idea for my future hero costume.

My Manton limitation also protected me from the effects of what I assimilated. I could hold a red-hot metal sample as long as I absorbed it and caustic property didn't affect me. The toxicity of some samples was also covered by my inner protection. Of course, it was only if I was using my power on what I touched. My skin could still be pricked by a steel needle and be sensitive to cold and hot. Also, it was only when I used my power that I could regenerate. Wounds or bruises on my normal body weren't treated by changing although we could deduce that missing flesh matter could be somewhat compensated for.

It was with magnetite that I discovered that I wasn't simply limited to changing into a material, but that I was recording ALL the properties of the sample. I gleefully demonstrated that I could spider-walk on metallic walls and intensify the magnetic field I could generate from one hand as if my whole mass was magnetite but focused on one point. I couldn't wait to have some neodymium in the future.

Professor Meriam asked for permission to test that precise point and brought a standard AA alkaline battery along other simple items to the testing room. I also absorbed it under one minute and yes, could manifest all its properties in any way, including generating direct current. This was amazing as it means that I could absorb the FUNCTION of an item instead of just the physical properties of its materials.

I didn't try with gases yet because my tracksuit wouldn't have followed my transformation and I didn't want the humiliation of flashing everyone… No to mention the fact that it would also be recorded (it almost happened when I tried mercury and I took care to transmute only part of me in water or other liquids).

However, we did test the size limit (mass wasn't a limit) of what I could absorb with more and more bigger pieces of Styrofoam and found that it was in correlation with the length of my body… Once again, even in another body, my height was perhaps too little as I was limited to a 7 to 8 meters in size. The time of absorption was also related to the relative size of the sample with a base of one minute for an object up to my human size plus one minute by each factor of my body length (5 full minutes at maximum size).

"Good, Changer. We are stopping here for today. Eat and go to bed as tomorrow is a big day for you."

Oh, gods. I almost managed to forget that I was to meet with the Wards tomorrow… I was sure they had been briefed on what Shadow Stalker did and what was my role in it… Saying that I was apprehending the coming day was a euphemism… Especially since I was also to meet Emily Piggot again.

* * *

The meeting with Director Piggot went better than I thought it could have. I met my parents and our lawyer outside her office and Mom and Dad seemed relieved and not just from seeing me. They hugged me, saying they were proud of their daughter and that everything will be alright now. I didn't want to point out that the Brockton Bay Wards were forced to be Child-Soldiers due to the high numbers of villains present.

As soon as I was seated in front of her, with my parents and lawyers behind me, Piggot "opened fire".

"Very well, Miss Clements. I consulted with my superiors and the police department about your situation. Since you recognized what you did at Winslow and put yourself under our jurisdiction, we managed to reach a solution."

I gulped and nodded.

"Officially and on your school record, you are guilty of academic sabotage and small other mischiefs. Winslow put you for one month of suspension and your parents decided that home-schooling with an online education support was a better solution to any disciplinary establishments or repeating your current year."

Huh… Seemed normal so far.

"Of course, it's only for the public. Under the PRT authority and with the assent of your parents, you are now a full Ward of the Brockton Bay sector under probation. You are forbidden to interact with your peers outside your heroic identities. The privileges you'll have can and will be revoked if you disobey orders."

She then proceeded to explain exactly what I was supposed to do and not to do as a Ward. She didn't seem particularly angry at my presence despite the difficulty to read her through her formidable professional shield. My lawyer, parents and I examined each page of my contract before I signed it. My probation obligated me to stay within the PRT building or on PRT-approved trips and locations for three months except for the weekend at my home before an evaluation was made and Piggot decided if she allowed me unrestricted Ward status or not. Regular evaluations were scheduled until I reached my majority.

"Do you understand, Miss Clements?"

I breathed in and took the plunge. "I fully understand, Director Piggot. Please, may I ask you what happened about Taylor Hebert?"

"You may. You'll be happy to learn that everything you said was verified and confirmed. Emma Barnes and Sophia Hess have been deemed needing psychological help and are now receiving it in separate facilities (so Sophia could be now at one of the Parahuman Asylums). Alan Barnes attempted to sue us, the Heberts and your family but withdrew when confronted by the sheer number of proofs (or more exactly, he found that having testified for Shadow Stalker's character was biting him in the ass). Sophia Hess's mother didn't contest anything and even asked the authorities that her daughter receives psychological help posthaste."

I could read the warning in her eyes as even if my parents and lawyer signed an NDA, she preferred Shadow Stalker identity to remain unknown (and I presumed she was testing me).

"Taylor Hebert has been retired from Winslow by her father and will enter Arcadia this coming semester (thank god) with all fees paid by the Winslow administration (more like hush money, but Taylor should be happy that the whole Trio is taken care of). The National Educational Board is examining Principal Blackwell and her staff for any professional faults and will take sanctions if need be (my heart is bleeding). In brief, we have been lucky that the public at large remains ignorant (so no PR nightmare so far)."

She shook her head. "The investigation revealed that no one among the students in Winslow testified until they were sure that the staff or Sophia Hess can't do anything (a bunch of little cowards)." Her pupils shrunk as some faint anger entered her voice. "And I was ensured that the adults responsible of hiding the facts will be severely punished."

Which meant that the agent responsible for Sophia Hess was in deep shit. Good and no, I wasn't vindictive. Still, Piggot did make my wish true and more and I was grateful to her. Just one point left.

"What does Taylor know about me and my situation, Director?" Uh oh, was that a tiny hidden shark smile?

"You're scheduled to meet her and her father one week from now. Our psychiatrist did request that for bringing an end to a difficult situation with both of you. They'll have signed an NDA and you'll be briefed on what you can say and how."

I could feel the blood fleeing my face and I was sure my eyes became round as anime eyes. I vaguely heard my father asking why I was required to do that and the voice of Piggot explaining that it was for the good of everybody and to prevent further problems as the Heberts would be fully justified to ask for more.

"I'll do it..." Wow, how feeble my voice sounded. I focused myself and spoke anew with a firmer voice. "I'll do it. I own Taylor that and more."

* * *

Still clad in my tracksuit and generic mask, I was facing the entry of the Dragon's Lair… I was joking, but I was about to meet the BB Wards after everything that Sophia Hess aka Shadow Stalker did to them.

And I was an accomplice of that girl. Yep, I was boned.

I firmly pressed the entry button, heard the warning buzzer inside and wait for the security cycle of the door to finish.

I entered the living-room of the Ward sector and froze at the threshold. They were ALL here. Vista, Clockblocker, Kid Win, Aegis, and Gallant. So Triumph was already a major and went to the Protectorate, leaving Aegis as the current leader of the team (a stupidity since Vista was the more experienced of the whole lot).

I gulped as they were all sat at the central table and were looking at me with a mixture of weariness, polite neutrality, and glacial hostility. Okay, Madison, time to earn their approval.

"Good evening everyone. My temporary Ward name is Changer (phew, I just saw Clockblocker hiding a snort)." I took off my mask. "But I'm really Madison Clements, a probationary Ward, and your new teammate until my majority or my next fuck-up."

Aegis blinked as surprise entered his eyes and a little warmth appeared. He was wearing a rust-red costume with a matching helmet, both with silver-white trim, and a shield emblem. The costume left some of his skin exposed and his brown eyes visible. "Good evening, Miss Clements. I'm Aegis, the leader of the BB Wards. Here is Clockblocker, Gallant, Kid Win and last but not least, Vista."

The Wards seemed a little taken aback by the politeness shown to me by their leader but rallied and stared at me for a moment. I deliberately looked into their eyes, willing to project my sincerity.

"Okay, since our great leader begins. I'm the awesome and handsome Clockblocker. So, what did you do to be forced with us?" He wore a skintight white costume with panels of glossy white armoring placed strategically to not inhibit his mobility. In fact, every inch of his skin was covered. The armor had gray clocks inscribed on it with hands that moved at different speeds using digital displays. The helmet was a faceless, smooth expanse of white and I could also see a typical utility belt (good to see that Batman made some fans here).

"I was a shallow little bitch that helped Sophia Hess and another girl to bully someone who didn't do anything to me for more than a year. And I wasn't forced as I choose to join the Wards before my problems with the law."

Collective blinking, a round of looking at each other and more focus on me. So far, so good.

"You're sincere." Gallant seemed flabbergasted. The teenager was wearing a futuristic set of silver and gunmetal colored power armor with an aesthetic grounded in the medieval past. I knew his power set (including the empathy that perceived my sincerity) were coming from a Cauldron formula and that his power armor was created by Kid Win and maintained by Armsmaster. He shook his head and at the surprise of his teammates, retired his helmet, showing his face and a tiny smile. "Hello, Madison. I'm Dean Stansfield."

"Okay… Well if you're sure Dean." Kid Win had brown hair and a pale complexion. He wore body armor colored red and gold as a homage to the deceased Tinker Hero, with a red visor that he had just removed. "My name is Chris and I really hope you'll be a better teammate than Shadow Stalker."

Vista snorted. "Won't be that difficult." She stared at me, showing more experience and suffering in her eyes than all her teammates would imagine. She was blonde and wore a costume covered in wavy, swooping lines alternating white and forest green, panels of body armor and a green visor. She frowned and I waited, knowing this little girl was a powerful Parahuman. Finally, she seemed to reach a decision and took off her visor revealing green eyes. She glanced at Dean before looking at me. "Alright. Benefit of the doubt, but I will wait to have a permanent opinion." She exhibited a bittersweet smile. "My name is Missy Biron. It's still good to have another girl in the team since..."

The whole team followed. "… Shadow Stalker didn't count."

That made the entire room exploded into laughter and Clockblocker took off his helmet. "So, Changer? Cool name. I'm Lancer… I mean Dennis and our fearsome leader is Carlos."

I smiled. At last, someone who understood my joke. "It is nice to meet you all."

Carlos shook his head at the shenanigans of his teammates. "Still, this is a good surprise. I must say we were apprehending to meet someone more…"

I couldn't resist. "What? Something more like this."

I changed, using iron, steel, a led and black plastic and rubber to have a very specific appearance while staying recognizable as Madison. Their eyes went round as I purposely intensified the red led on the side of my head and put a reverberation effect on my voice.

"I am Primus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life, as it has been is over. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. From this time forward, you will service us."


End file.
